


Stupid Christmas Gift Giving Traditions

by jamesiee



Series: What's with these freaking birds? (12 Days of Christmas) [12]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Check Please 12 Days of Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Day 12: Exchanging Gifts, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 10:39:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9120040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamesiee/pseuds/jamesiee
Summary: “Did you know that Christmas is a myth invented by evil capitalists in order to make people enter unwillingly into a social contract in which they’ll always be miserable because it’s a cycle that never ends?”Dex looked over at Nursey with a furrowed brow. “You’re wrong, but okay.”“No seriously. Gift giving is the absolute worst thing that humans have ever socially constructed.”“I want to ask why, but I’m worried your answer is gonna make me want to punch you.”Nursey's pissed off at the social conventions that surrounded gift giving. He's not ready for that kind of commitment.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy belated holidays! :)  
> I'm following [omgnotanothercpblog's](http://omgnotanothercpblog.tumblr.com/post/153796265936/coming-soon-check-please-12-days-of-christmas) fic/art fest list.  
> This is unbeta'd so any spelling or grammar mistakes are completely my own. My [tumblr](http://www.chocolatechipcookiesplease.tumblr.com/).

Day Twelve: Exchanging gifts 

Nursey’s day took a downward turn sometime after the lunch rush when a coworker came in with presents for the whole staff.

It was a Monday, so Nursey hadn’t really expected much out of the day to begin with, but he definitely hadn’t thought he’d have to lie out of teeth about a gift that he hadn’t bought his coworker after such a big deal was made when John gave Nursey a neatly wrapped box. Nursey had skipped his lunch break to run down the street to a gas station that had a half-decent selection of gift cards, spent a stupid amount of time trying to decide how much was an appropriate monetary amount for a person he barely talked to outside of shift changes, and raced back to the coffee shop to complete the cycle of gift giving, as was expected of him.

Stupid Christmas and it's stupid Christmas gift giving traditions. Thanks wisemen for bringing Jesus gifts for his birthday and kicking this whole thing off. Nursey spent the rest of his shift annoyed at the social conventions that dictated so-called “proper” gift giving protocol and built up a rant about the unnecessary evils of gift giving in his head while pulling shots and foaming milk.

He was still stewing over it when his boyfriend got home later that night.  

“I hate Christmas,” Nursey announced as Dex hung up his jacket on the coat stand that only he used. Nursey leaned his head back against the arm of the couch, admiring the lines of the dress pants that Dex wore to work, even as he was still annoyed with the idea of presents.

“Hello to you too.” Dex pressed a kiss to Nursey’s chin as he passed by the couch on the way to the bedroom. He came back a minute later, having ditched pants completely and traded his dress shirt and tie for a faded Samwell hoodie whose original owner was a mystery. He shoved at Nursey to sit up so they could both fit on the couch.

“What’d the evil customers do to you today?” Dex asked. He snatched the remote and started flicking through the channels.

“Did you know that Christmas is a myth invented by evil capitalists in order to make people enter unwillingly into a social contract in which they’ll always be miserable because it’s a cycle that never ends?”

Dex stopped on the Food Network and looked over at Nursey with a furrowed brow. “You’re wrong, but okay.”

“No seriously. Gift giving is the absolute worst thing that humans have ever socially constructed.”

“I want to ask why, but I’m worried your answer is gonna make me want to punch you.”

Nursey rolled his eyes; Dex was much more melodramatic than people would think. “It's just bullshit that when someone gives you a gift, you’re expected to give them something back.”

“That’s called being a nice person.”

“That’s exactly my point though. When you give someone a gift, you’re cornering them into a social contract that’ll be fulfilled only when they give something back. Sure you can say that you’re giving a gift for the sake of giving, but that’s a load of shit. Anyone who says that they’re giving you a gift just for the sake of giving is a damn liar.”

“You’re very pessimistic,” Dex noted.

“And that’s not even taking into account that when someone gives you something back, then that starts the cycle over again. Now you’re expected to give them another gift at another time to keep up your end of the contract and it’s a contract that goes on and on and on until one of you dies and it’s stupid! Lifetime social contracts are stupid. I want no part.”

There was a beat of silence while Dex considered Nursey’s rant. “So what you’re saying is that I should return the gifts that I bought you for Christmas?”

“What? No!”

“You literally just said that the so-called gift giving contract was stupid.”

“It is.”

“And that you don’t want to be a part of any social contract.” Dex’s voice was light and teasing but Nursey could see underlying worry on his face. Nursey rolled his eyes again, fondly this time, and manoeuvred Dex’s arm so he could fit under it.

“With people other than you babe, c’mon, don’t be dumb,” he said, cuddling into Dex’s side. “I’m okay with being in a social contract with you until I die.”

“Gross,” Dex mumbled into Nursey’s hair.

“Yeah,” Nursey agreed, turning so he could kiss Dex properly.

He forgot all about social contracts soon enough, content now to both give and receive, no questions asked.

**Author's Note:**

> edit 07.23.17: [ SEQUEL ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11578170)


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